Nonstop flight route between Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States and Vieux-Fort, Saint Lucia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR), Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States and Hewanorra International Airport (UVF), Vieux-Fort, Saint Lucia would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,151 miles (or 5,071 kilometers).

A Great Circle is the shortest distance between 2 points on a sphere. Because most world maps are flat (but the Earth is round), the route of the shortest distance between 2 points on the Earth will often appear curved when viewed on a flat map, especially for long distances. If you were to simply draw a straight line on a flat map and measure a very long distance, it would likely be much further than if you were to lay a string between those two points on a globe. Because of the large distance between Grand Forks Air Force Base and Hewanorra International Airport, the route shown on this map most likely appears curved because of this reason.

Try it at home! Get a globe and tightly lay a string between Grand Forks Air Force Base and Hewanorra International Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR):

• The 4133d SW was redesignated as the 319th Bombardment Wing on 1 February 1963 in a name-only redesigation and was assigned to SAC's Second Air Force, 810th Strategic Aerospace Division.
• In addition to being known as "Grand Forks Air Force Base", another name for RDR is "Grand Forks AFB".
• The DC-11 SAGE blockhouse was later the headquarters of the SAC 321st Strategic Missile Wing.
• Grand Forks AFB is the home of the Air Mobility Command's 319th Air Base Wing.
• The furthest airport from Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,504 miles (16,904 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• On 1 September 1958, the Strategic Air Command established the 4133d Strategic Wing at Grand Forks as part of its plan to disperse its B-52 heavy bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike.
• The closest airport to Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR) is Grand Forks International Airport (GFK), which is located only 10 miles (17 kilometers) E of RDR.
• The 319th transitioned from B-52H to re-engined B-52G aircraft in 1983, and added the AGM-86 Air Launched Cruise Missile in 1984.

Facts about Hewanorra International Airport (UVF):

• The airport is a Fire Category 9 airport that handles 500,000 passengers a year and has the capability to handle the Boeing 747, Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Boeing 777 and other similar long range intercontinental aircraft.
• The furthest airport from Hewanorra International Airport (UVF) is Umbu Mehang Kunda Airport (WGP), which is nearly antipodal to Hewanorra International Airport (meaning Hewanorra International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Umbu Mehang Kunda Airport), and is located 12,143 miles (19,543 kilometers) away in Waingapu, Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.
• Because of Hewanorra International Airport's relatively low elevation of 14 feet, planes can take off or land at Hewanorra International Airport at a lower air speed than at airports located at a higher elevation. This is because the air density is higher closer to sea level than it would otherwise be at higher elevations.
• The airport is also equipped with RNAV, VOR/DME, and NDB approaches for both runways.
• The closest airport to Hewanorra International Airport (UVF) is George F. L. Charles Airport (SLU), which is located 20 miles (32 kilometers) N of UVF.
• Quebecair flight 714, a Boeing 707 jetliner operating a charter flight from Toronto, caught a wind shear while on approach to Hewanorra international airport on 19 February 1979.
• The former USAF base was then refurbished and converted into a commercial airport.
• Hewanorra International Airport (UVF) currently has only 1 runway.